Mumbai: Panic gripped the city once again after an unknown caller threatened of a bomb explosion in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai. The call was received on the national emergency helpline number 112, triggering immediate alert across the city.

Mumbai Police swung into action following the threat, with coastal security agencies and local police put on high alert. A massive search operation has been launched to trace the caller.

Senior officials said the threat is being taken seriously given the upcoming festive season and past instances of hoax calls that have disrupted city security. The police are currently verifying the authenticity of the claim while efforts are on to identify and nab the caller. This is the second major threat call in recent weeks, raising concerns over the misuse of helplines to spread panic.

Mumbai: In fresh trouble for industrialist Anil Ambani, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against him, Reliance Communications (RCom) and others over an alleged ₹2,929-crore bank fraud involving the State Bank of India (SBI).

Officials said the ED’s action follows a First Information Report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last month. The CBI had named Ambani, RCom and others, including some government officials, accusing them of causing losses to SBI. It had also searched Ambani’s residence as well as RCom offices during its probe.

The SBI had classified RCom and Mr Ambani as “fraud” on June 13 and sent a report to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 24.

Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for Ambani said the complaint pertained to matters dating back more than a decade, when Ambani was a non-executive director and not involved in the company’s daily management. “SBI has already withdrawn proceedings against five other non-executive directors. Despite this, Mr Ambani has been selectively singled out,” the statement said.

The spokesperson added that Reliance Communications has, for the past six years, been under the supervision of a committee of creditors led by SBI and overseen by a resolution professional. “The matter remains sub judice before the NCLT and other judicial forums, including the Supreme Court. Mr Ambani has duly challenged SBI’s declaration before the competent judicial forum. He strongly denies all allegations and charges, and will duly defend himself,” the statement said.

With this latest ECIR, the ED’s ongoing investigations into Ambani and his group firms now cover four cases. Apart from the SBI matter, the agency is probing an alleged Rs 3,000-crore loan diversion linked to Yes Bank, involving suspected fund diversions by Reliance Group firms between 2017 and 2019. The probe has included raids at over 35 premises, searches at 50 companies, and questioning of at least 25 individuals.

The agency is also examining suspected loan diversions of more than Rs 17,000 crore by Reliance Infrastructure and other group entities, allegedly routed through inter-corporate deposits. Additionally, charges of fake bank guarantees worth Rs 68.2 crore tied to Reliance Power and Biswal Tradelink Pvt Ltd (BTPL) are part of the broader Rs 17,000-crore loan fraud inquiry.

Agency said that the SBI case involves misrepresentation to secure credit facilities, diversion of loan funds, inter-company transactions, misuse of invoice financing, discounting of bills, and creation of fictitious debtors. The accused face charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust.

The ED action was triggered by a complaint received on August 18, 2025, from Jyoti Kumar, Deputy General Manager of SBI’s Mumbai branch, referencing a forensic audit report dated October 15, 2020, that identified irregularities in loan utilisation. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether diverted funds were laundered through shell companies or offshore channels.

In the SBI case, it is alleged that the accused, in criminal conspiracy, secured credit facilities from SBI for RCom, misused loan funds, engaged in inter-company transactions, misused sales invoice financing, discounted bills of RCom via Reliance Infratel Ltd., routed funds through inter-corporate deposits, and created/write-off fictitious debtors.

Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested two brothers from Telangana’s Asifabad district for allegedly stealing a INSAS rifle and ammunition from Navy Nagar, a highly sensitive defence area in the city.

The accused have been identified as Rakesh Dubla and Umesh Dubla, both hailing from the same village. Notably, one of the accused is an Agniveer (a soldier serving under the Agnipath scheme). Police have seized the stolen INSAS rifle and cartridges from their possession.

Both accused were hiding in the Naxalite area. Yesterday, around 9 pm, the Mumbai Crime Branch entered the Naxalite jungle as per Telangana SP’s guidelines to nab the duo.

According to investigators, on the night of September 6, one of the accused, dressed in a Navy uniform, gained entry into Navy Nagar. He approached a naval personnel on duty, claiming he had come to relieve him from his shift. Trusting him, the on-duty employee handed over his service INSAS rifle and ammunition. The accused then discarded them outside the compound, where his brother was waiting to collect the weapons.

After securing the INSAS rifle and cartridges, both fled to Telangana. Following a swift investigation and technical surveillance, the Crime Branch traced and apprehended them. The duo are now being brought to Mumbai on transit remand for further interrogation. Police are investigating how the accused managed to obtain the Navy uniform and whether there was any larger conspiracy behind the theft.